Club Car Onward Review

    Club Car Onward Review

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    Key Highlights

    price

    Starting at $7,349

    type

    PTV

    power

    Electric, Gas

    speed

    18-19 mph

    condition

    New, Used, Refurbished

    Club Car Onward Review

    Since 1958, Club Car has been manufacturing golf carts for a myriad of tasks that stem outside the typical golf course. For the retail segment, Club Car recently released the Onward. The Onward has been set up to be a vehicle with limitless options in terms of accessories. From lift kits to four seats, the Onward was made to add on accessories. While it has a unique appearance in the front body, it is still being built on a Precedent chassis. On the plus side, the chassis is made out of aluminum which makes it good for coastal regions and high humidity areas in terms of being rust proof.

    The Club Car Onward is being sold as a PTV which means it will have a top speed of 19.9 MPH. Legally, only the LSV unit will be able to go 25 MPH. As a PTV, the laws regarding their usage are defined by state and local authorities. However, this does mean it will lack the requirement for any required safety-oriented features. As a PTV, the Club Car Onward can be sold as a Gas or Electric Unit with or without a lift kit. The trend for the retail segment has been for lifted units as of late, so it made sense to offer this to consumers. On the Gas side, it uses a Subaru 404cc engine with 14.4 HP which is adequate for its determined speed and usage. It will not have groundbreaking acceleration, however, we hope it will be reliable. On the electric side, it is using a DC electric system with a 2.4 KW motor which is small compared to other segments in the industry. For a battery system, it is utilizing a 6-8 Volt setup which is pretty standard in the industry, however, it is limited for overall range.

    On the style side, the Club Car Onward has done a good job. With an appealing front body cowl and LED lights, it definitely has a unique appearance. In addition, with the availability of some many optional accessories, you get the ability to add cool accessories like brush guards, oversized wheels and other common golf cart accessories. Also, I was impressed by how comfortable the upgraded seats were. Very plush and cozy to sit in, however depending on your dealer, they can be and expensive add-on. Still though, the Club Car Onward is still a cookie cutter option and does not offer anything for ergonomic comfort with basic seat orientation and limited head room.

    The Club Car Onward is really the first major attempt by Club Car to enter the retail segment. With golf course fleets in limited growth, Club Car is attempting to find new revenue streams and they hope the Onward will be a nice addition. With this said, time will ultimately tell if the Onward is a raving success or not.

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    Reviews

    5.8 / 10 Consumer Rating (23 reviews)
    SAFETY6.3
    COMFORT6.9
    RELIABILITY5.6
    PERFORMANCE5.7
    VALUE4.5
    What Owners are saying... 23 Please leave your rating
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    1.8 / 10
    SAFETY 3
    COMFORT 3.5
    RELIABILITY 1
    PERFORMANCE 1
    VALUE 0.5
    TomR
    Poor Craftsmanship
    2021 Onward
    Price: >$14k
    Issues:
    We purchased this cart new (in 2021) from a reputable dealer. From the get-go, we have had a myriad of quality issues and mechanical problems. The cart rattles like an old pickup truck. The flimsy windshield rattled and vibrated to a point where we thought it might break in two. As a result - we replaced the windshield ($350). The new windshield has thicker plexiglass but still rattles like crazy. The upgraded seats are splitting at a seam. Honestly, it is quite embarrassing to drive your friends and use on the golf course.

    The cart began surging while operating in year 1. We would be driving it at speed, and it would surge and then slow down continuously. The dealer replaced the accelerator calanoid 3 different times. They said it was a defective part(s) from the factory. So, 4 repairs later, the cart still surges. Now the cart hums while parked. Some kind of short, I guess.

    We have owned other Club Car golf carts and have generally been pleased with the quality and reliability of the carts. Maybe Club Car struggled with their quality control during the height of Covid, but, at this price point, we expected much higher quality standards from CC. We would advise folks to steer clear of Club Car golf carts. They seemed to have lost their direction and they have certainly lost us as customers.
    June 23, 2024, 5:22 am
    2.1 / 10
    SAFETY 4.5
    COMFORT 6
    RELIABILITY 0
    PERFORMANCE 0
    VALUE 0
    Gordon Hoy
    Ripped off by Club Car
    I bought a new Club Car Onward just under two years ago. What a disappointment. Both tail lights fell off (they were affixed with some type of tape and not screws), the charging cord would not fit correctly, the turn signal did not work properly and finally it just quit running and had to be taken into the shop by trailer. After a few days, it was fixed but even though I asked the dealer I was never told what caused the problem (the dealer tried without success to get the information from a branch Club Car repair facility I was told). But the biggest problem is the battery. I bought the lithium ion battery. I can barely get 18 holes of golf with it. I have been told by the local dealer that a newer and better battery now exists. I wrote Club Car twice asking for replacement of the battery and never even got the courtesy of a reply. This is one lousy company with a lousy product and I will NEVER buy anything from Club Car again. Lesson Learned. DON'T BUY A CLUB CAR or You Will Be Sorry!
    December 22, 2022, 12:38 pm
    6.4 / 10
    SAFETY 10
    COMFORT 8.5
    RELIABILITY 5
    PERFORMANCE 4
    VALUE 4.5
    Daran Williams
    Noise when stopping
    Just purchased a new 2023 Onward lift gas. We like everything about the vehicle, except when stopping. It sounds like metal grinding. We was told by the dealer we bought it from, that is normal. Told us we need to brake and not coast to a stop. How can a company like Club Car sell a vehicle with a defect like this?
    December 4, 2022, 6:30 am
    9.2 / 10
    SAFETY 8
    COMFORT 10
    RELIABILITY 10
    PERFORMANCE 9.5
    VALUE 8.5
    Whitney Broussard
    Wow nice addition to family!
    2022 Gas lifted. Perfect for us. We can drive on the beach go off roading or drive lesurely down the street
    Love the sound bar also!
    Glad we got the gas as we like to have the range and not worry about get back in.
    May 18, 2022, 8:22 pm
    8.6 / 10
    SAFETY 10
    COMFORT 8.5
    RELIABILITY 8
    PERFORMANCE 7.5
    VALUE 9
    Brian T Wood
    Verified
    2021 Onward 4 seats 48 V
    I have enjoyed oy Onward about 4 Months now. At first the other carts were running me down. I changed to 14" tires and it went from 19 to 22 MPH. 22 is about right in the villages when you have long pathways. They have a good ride. One time I ran it completely out of power. the indicator light starting flashing 3 miles out. I made it home. It does not like you run it out and took a long time to recover. Doing great now. Fast take off.
    March 5, 2022, 1:52 pm
    5.5 / 10
    SAFETY 3.5
    COMFORT 9.5
    RELIABILITY 5
    PERFORMANCE 9.5
    VALUE 0
    Marcus
    Accessories
    I have the new 2021 Onward Li-Ion SE Road Runner. There is a problem when attempting to swap out the horn for a 1965 Plymouth Roadrunner original horn.

    You must install it in an isolated fashion so as not to cause a fault. Then the horn will not blow. Someone has told me that CC has created a system that will not allow after market (3rd party) accessories to be installed. I wish I had known that ahead of time, I would have saved my $15K+ and spent it on an EZGO Elite Lithium system where I understand 3rd party accessories work well.

    I have not been able to acquire a wiring diagram as Club Car ignores my inquiries. I have owned CCs in the past and they have been wonderful. To bad if CC went the old fashion Apple Mac method with a closed system.
    September 18, 2021, 12:35 pm
    2.9 / 10
    SAFETY 0
    COMFORT 8.5
    RELIABILITY 1
    PERFORMANCE 1
    VALUE 4
    Allen Seaman
    No help from Club Car
    Bought a 2019 Onward new. Ran great for 6 months, and then trouble. Runs unevenly, slowing and surging. When driving up hills, sometimes it barely makes it. Brought it in twice and all they did was tell me the batteries were good. 3 year warranty is almost gone, and the problem persists. No help at all from Club Car corporate. Three newer cars in our community all having the same problem.
    September 13, 2021, 1:57 pm
    5.5 / 10
    SAFETY 8.5
    COMFORT 8
    RELIABILITY 0.5
    PERFORMANCE 6.5
    VALUE 4
    Ronald Sills
    Battery problem
    I bought my new 2019 Club Car Onward 1.5 years ago. I went on vacation for 6 weeks and when I returned I checked and filled the water (took approximately 1/2 gallon), plugged the car in and the charger showed an error code. I called the dealer and they picked up the car and tested the batteries. They were all dead and would not take a charge. They contacted headquarters and they were told they they would not replace them under warranty, they said they were not serviced correctly. I have the easy fill system and filled the batteries on the 1st of every month. So now I am out over $800 on a new car battery that had a 3 year warranty. After reading other reviews the batteries that they use seem to be a problem but I guess it is just easier to blame the customer.
    March 23, 2021, 12:26 pm
    1.6 / 10
    SAFETY 1
    COMFORT 4
    RELIABILITY 1
    PERFORMANCE 1
    VALUE 1
    Gary
    Club Car Onward - - terrible battery issues - in for battery work THREE TIMES on a new cart
    Bought an Onward 1.5 years ago. Ran great for a while, and then it had battery issues. They took it in for service and several days later I got it back with two new batteries. If that was the end of the story, the ratings would be much higher. However, two months later I had the same problem - would barely get a round of golf in before the batteries were gone. Back in for service. This time I'm without my cart for a week. They said there was one bad battery and they replaced it. They also said that Club Car Corp had changed their battery supplier and that the one new one would be from the new manufacturer. Hmmmm. Now it is a month and a half later and once again I can't get a round of golf in before it is out of charge. For the third time, they take it to the shop. They called back a couple of days later and say it has three bad batteries and they will replace them. Well, they will replace them in a month when they get batteries. They can't get batteries from their new provider. They brought back my cart and I had to limp through three weeks of bad batteries. I have done a lot of reading now on replacing batteries in golf carts and NOWHERE can I find that replacing anything but ALL the batteries is the proper solution. My reading also has taught me that running new batteries with bad batteries ruins ALL of the batteries. When they finally got batteries in they said they would pick it up and replace the three. I told them they had to replace all of them. They said that Club Car Corp policy won't let them do that. They do the test, send the results into corporate and they tell the local dealer what to replace. I told them (over the course of several phone calls) that was unacceptable and that they needed to replace all of them. I finally talked them into (at least I thought I had...) replacing the five batteries, leaving one that is only a couple of months old and from the new supplier. They said they only had three in stock for me, but they would have more the next week - - they kept my cart. As an aside, they never talked about a loaner cart. I brought it up once and the service manager said he would talk to the owner and call me back - - I never got a return call. Sooo, now it is Monday of the next week and they said they are going to replace the three batteries and can have it back to me tomorrow. I insisted on getting five batteries - - as they had agreed to do. He said he would put in the three, charge it and do a discharge test and call me back. That will be tomorrow. They will have had the cart for two weeks at this point.

    I know of two other people that bought Onwards from the same dealer after my initial purchase. They too have had battery issues multiple times and have had to wait weeks for replacement batteries.

    Bottom line, until they get their battery supplier in line and start putting in good batteries, you would be foolish to buy a Club Car cart. Maybe their gas carts are better, I have no clue. We have to run electric on my course. Makes it tough when you can't get batteries.

    I had sent an email to Club Car corporate after the second battery issue. Never heard back from them. Seems to be a theme.
    December 14, 2020, 1:24 pm
    9 / 10
    SAFETY 8.5
    COMFORT 8
    RELIABILITY 10
    PERFORMANCE 8.5
    VALUE 10
    Benton Howie
    Extremely satisfied with stock 2019 Onward
    Absolutely no problems with the golf cart. Pretty much standard. Only change was a unique ignition and key so any ole yahoo with a Club Cart key can't get in and go for a joy ride. We were advised by our dealer that the a slightly wider standard size tire would give us the softest ride. The ride is fine. Everyone wants a lifted car because they look sportier. But you do pay a price in ride. And there is the hitting the garage door part that causes some people a problem. Never have bottomed out with the standard tires. No problem with the speed and range, although the governor drives me a bit crazy. We got the golf cart to enjoy leisurely cruises around town. Ocean Springs has quickly become a major golf cart town..perfect for it. Golf cart rides are all about enjoying the leisurely journey...not getting somewhere quickly. Our dog loves it and whenever he can, he likes to sit in the golf card and give us major puppy eyes to go for a ride. It usually works. I will eventually need to get a new windshield. I learned the hard way to rinse it off before cleaning with a clean soft cloth to not leave scratches. And whatever you do, do not give your top windshield a little bump with your palm to seat it into the gasket in the down position. It will..and did crack. And never, never, ever plug the cart in with the turn signal indicator on. It will fry the flasher...it did. Great and very knowledgeable dealer (Gulf Coast Golf Carts...Pass Christian, MS)...should be your go to dealer for Club Cars. Remember, they are GOLF CARTS..not race cars. Enjoy the journey (and take your dog). One more piece of advice. Get after market old fashioned seat belts. The ones installed by the dealer are a bit like snuggling up to a boa constrictor. Every time you breathe out, they cinch tight. Eventually they are so tight you can't breathe. Replace them for more comfort. NOTE to dealer...find better seat belts. Enjoy the ride. Benton
    September 11, 2020, 8:49 am
    0 / 10
    SAFETY 0
    COMFORT 0
    RELIABILITY 0
    PERFORMANCE 0
    VALUE 0
    Paul Hughes
    Cooler horrible design
    Purchased new 2020 lifted Onward 4 passenger, beautiful looking cart, nice features for most part, dealer was superb. The new Versattach for the cooler is useless and at 95.00 they should be ashamed. The cooler slides over a bracket but every time you hit a bump it pops off and hits the ground, this has happened four times now cooler is all chewed up. Called Club Car they don’t respond. 13k for a cart, you think they would help you.
    July 3, 2020, 5:57 am
    8.8 / 10
    SAFETY 10
    COMFORT 10
    RELIABILITY 10
    PERFORMANCE 8
    VALUE 6
    Mary
    Would buy again
    Would buy again
    June 30, 2020, 11:10 am
    7.6 / 10
    SAFETY 10
    COMFORT 10
    RELIABILITY 4
    PERFORMANCE 10
    VALUE 4
    Richard Ross
    Verified
    Warranty - 2018 Onward Club Car
    Purchased Club Car (IJ1824-882015) on Dec. 27, 2017 with a 3 Year Full Factory Warranty from Friendship Center Golf Cars in Ocala, FL with a Custom Seat. The seat was separating at the bottom of the front right seam and a new one was supposedly ordered on May 30, 2019. Since then, Friendship went out of business. Addressing the issue with Club Car was impossible. When I finally got hold of someone, they only passed the buck to one of their dealers 30 miles away. That dealer has helped me, but has to yet get a response from Club Car initially submitted August 9. It looks like Club Car has no regard for customers once the sale is made and their warranty is useless.
    June 25, 2020, 7:43 am
    3 / 10
    SAFETY 5
    COMFORT 1
    RELIABILITY 5
    PERFORMANCE 3
    VALUE 1
    John Phillips
    Horrible
    Horrible company. Dealers refuse to honor warranty. Main company dismisses you, lying about calling you back after they "get out of a meeting." Three attempts to get a call back over the last few months, lied to every time. Lied to by dealer as well.
    Also, their parent company, Ingersoll Rand, is also dismissive, as they also will never return a call.
    March 11, 2020, 6:43 am
    4.4 / 10
    SAFETY 6
    COMFORT 4
    RELIABILITY 4
    PERFORMANCE 4
    VALUE 4
    David Mooers
    Canopy support and wear issues
    I have about 150 hours on 2018 Lifted Gas 4 pass Onward cart and have had it for 1 year now. In that time I have had to replace 2 windshields due to stress fractures related to design of canopy supports. In addition to that, both spacer brackets between the canopy and front canopy support broke in half. Plastic Canopy / Seat support on passenger side broke, and the driver side front canopy support broke in half right above the lower mounting bolts. The basic problem with the canopy support is it is not solid, and bounces excessively with every bump you hit. In addition I have had one of the of the ball joints break, and was told the other 3 needed replaced (not covered by warranty), and that the steering box has problems and need to be worked on (Not covered by warranty). Would I buy this again... Hell No, Best looking, biggest piece of junk I have ever owned.

    Ride quality is none existent... you feel every bump. They really need to work on the suspension as it feels like there is none.

    I have also had issues with stalling out when I have ran through mud puddles. (water splashes up, spark plug gets wet, and cart dies.)
    June 27, 2019, 5:40 pm
    6.6 / 10
    SAFETY 6
    COMFORT 6
    RELIABILITY 10
    PERFORMANCE 7
    VALUE 4
    Bruce Bingham
    2019 Onward rims getting cart muddy
    Brand new 2019 gas Onward 2 passenger
    cart with stock 10” rims and tires. Throughs mud up the side at front and back. Tires are anout an inch wider then side and throughs
    Water and mud up side even at really slow speeds. Stock 3” flares not an option with stock tires. Need 1.5” flares or sell it with proper width tires and rims. 14 grand and looks like crap if its wet. Need something done. Shouldn’t even be sold this way. You guys really dropped the ball with this one. Now man up snd fix it.
    May 9, 2019, 8:38 pm
    0 / 10
    SAFETY 0
    COMFORT 0
    RELIABILITY 0
    PERFORMANCE 0
    VALUE 0
    Kim Sommerfeld
    Problems with Club Car Onward 2019 model
    I had to send cart into shop Making a awful grinding and rattling noise. They kept the Cart for a week or so sent it back and they say it does have a issue but can't find whats wrong with it. So Here Iam stuck with a 12 thousand dollar piece of junk. can't sell it either in the condition it's in. here it is a 2019 Club Car Onward lifted Golf cart.
    April 14, 2019, 3:08 pm
    9.6 / 10
    SAFETY 10
    COMFORT 10
    RELIABILITY 10
    PERFORMANCE 10
    VALUE 8
    Zack
    Have your dealer turn down the Regen Braking!
    Love this cart, but was really annoyed with the regen braking that slowed the cart dramatically when lifting off the gas. The dealer turned it down to 0 and it's a whole new ballgame. Great ride!
    August 23, 2018, 6:47 pm
    8.4 / 10
    SAFETY 8
    COMFORT 8
    RELIABILITY 10
    PERFORMANCE 8
    VALUE 8
    Rick
    Have had my 2018 0nward 4 passenger lifted for a week.
    Love the upgraded seats and looks real nice.
    The regenerative braking is driving me absolutely nuts.
    Hope they come up with a simple fix.
    August 4, 2018, 2:51 pm
    9 / 10
    SAFETY 10
    COMFORT 9
    RELIABILITY 10
    PERFORMANCE 9
    VALUE 7
    Brian Hamblin
    2018 Club Car Onward Gas
    I've only had my cart for two weeks. That being said I've already went thru 3/4 of a tank of gas. I'm on it a lot.
    I added couple other options to ours. Seat belts, LED mirrors, 2" wheel spacers and about everything Club Car offers. We love the cart.
    June 21, 2018, 8:47 pm
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